Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May claimed the second podium finish of the weekend for the squad at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL on Sunday. One day after Kurtis Roberts debuted for the team with a third-place finish in the Formula Xtreme race, May guided his Pirelli-shod GSX-R600 to third in the 17-lap Supersport contest.
May was able to move up into third and fend off a determined challenge for the position late in the race. He edged a rival by just 0.216 seconds at the flag for the final spot on the podium.
The Georgian impressed in the Superstock final as well, challenging the leaders while running in third for the opening seven laps. He eventually settled into a solid fourth-place ride.
May said of the Supersport contest, “At the end of the race I just put my head down and said, ‘There’s no way he’s going to pass me. I’m not going to let anyone get by me today.’ I just held a defensive line and brought it home in third. It’s definitely a milestone getting on the box in Supersport for the first time. It’s a big accomplishment.”
May also stated that the team’s strong early season form at two dramatically different racetracks bodes well for the remainder of the 2006 season. “I feel like we’ve shown we can go from Daytona, which is a horsepower track, to here, which is one of the most technical tracks in America, and that we’re able to come up with a good set-up and run well anywhere. I feel that at pretty much every track we’ll be able to be up like we were this weekend. This would be a good average for us this season.”
Teammate Michael Barnes spent time in the top five during the Supersport race as well before ultimately finishing seventh. It was a solid outing for the Floridian who is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered at the Daytona season opener.
Unfortunately, Shea Fouchek’s day didn’t go as smoothly. He was forced out of the Supersport final after completing just five laps.
Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will be back in action next weekend as the series heads to California Speedway in Fontana, CA on April 28-30 for the third stop on the 2006 calendar.
